Shloka 5
Aśvatthāmā’s Stuti of Rudra and Śiva’s Empowerment (सौप्तिकपर्व, अध्याय ७)
मनसा सुविशुद्धेन दुष्करेणाल्पचेतसा । सो5हमात्मोपहारेण यक्ष्ये त्रिपुरघातिनम्
manasā suviśuddhena duṣkareṇālpacetasā | so 'ham ātmopahāreṇa yakṣye tripuraghātinam ||
Sañjaya berkata: “Dengan batin yang sungguh disucikan—meski tekad demikian sukar bagi yang berpengertian kecil—aku akan memuja Sang Pembunuh Tripura dengan mempersembahkan diriku sendiri.” Dalam pascaperang, ayat ini menempatkan bhakti sebagai sumpah etis yang ekstrem: penyerahan diri demi memperoleh restu dan daya dari Śiva.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates inner purity and total surrender as the essence of worship: the highest ‘offering’ is the self (ātma-upahāra), a demanding vow especially for one of limited resolve, implying that true devotion requires moral and psychological transformation, not only external rites.
In the Sauptika Parva’s tense aftermath of battle, a vow is voiced to propitiate Śiva—specifically as Tripuraghātin—through self-offering. This signals an attempt to obtain divine favor and formidable power by an extreme act of devotion.